11.15.2005

More wordplay

Still feeling verbal after that test, so here's a quiz to start...

ellipsis
You scored 38% Sociability and 82% Sophistication!

Your life can be difficult because of your insecurities, but you should
know that it isn't your fault. YOU didn't ask to be thrown in around
thirty times per page in every bodice-ripper on the shelf! Those who
overuse you can kiss your . . . you know. You need to learn to hold
your head high and glory in your solitude. You really do have
excellent, scholarly tastes. You must never forget that your friend,
the period, will be there to support you at the end of every sentence
where you truly belong, and, if what is left out is as important as
what is said, why, then you are as vital as the alphabet!



My test tracked 2 variables How you compared to other people your age and gender:
free online datingfree online dating
You scored higher than 21% on Sociability
free online datingfree online dating
You scored higher than 94% on Sophistication
Link: The Which Punctuation Mark Are You Test written by Gazda on Ok Cupid, home of the 32-Type Dating Test


Unfortunately, I can't find the blog where I first heard this story...I'll add it later if I come across it again. But Number 2 Pencil has a comprehensive post on the story, and a follow-up. It's about Maria Alquilar, a Miami artist who created a mural mosaic for a Livermore, CA library featuring the images and names of historical figures such writers, artists, and scientists -- only she misspelled eleven of the 175 names. And then got upset when people got upset about it. The San Francisco Chronicle has another short article about it. Mispellings aside, I don't even think the mural looks very nice. Those colors!


A couple of fun Wikipedia word lists: neologisms on the Simpsons, like "embiggen" and "cromulent", and fictional expletives from science fiction and fantasy worlds, like "frell" (from Farscape), or "p'tahk" (that potent Klingon insult). Though I have occasionally savored a geeky curse from the latter list, the former has certainly enriched my vocabulary in many ways.
Simpsons list via A Sweet, Familiar Dissonance.

I may as well mention this Guardian article, "Can you trust Wikipedia?" which casts doubt on Wikipedia's merit by sending an array of experts out to sample various entries that fall within their areas of study, and rate them objectively. The results were not stellar. While occasionally coming up short in fields such as literature and anthropology, Wikipedia's authors are almost invariably experts in one field in particular: pop culture. Whatever its future as an academic reference, I have no doubt that Wikipedia will always remain a top-notch resource in this one regard. And it's still pretty damn good with everything else, anyway.

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